How to detect a "shipment" of illegal immigrants

On Tuesday morning, Border Patrol agents assigned to the El Centro Station observed a man driving a Ford F-250 towing an enclosed utility trailer. The vehicle was traveling away from a location known to them for its human and narcotic smuggling activities.

The Border Patrol agents stopped the vehicle and questioned the driver regarding his citizenship. The driver explained that he was a Mexican citizen and indicated that people were being carried in the trailer.

From the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website

The vehicle and trailer were inspected, and 42 “undocumented” passengers were discovered, 38 of whom were in the trailer. The people in the trailer had no food, water, ventilation or safety restraints. The trailer was locked from the outside, leaving them with no way to exit in an emergency situation. The trailer measured 12 feet by 6 feet — the 38 people inside had been crammed together with no room for movement.

The driver was determined to be a 31-year-old Mexican national illegally present in the United States. He and the 42 other illegal immigrants, among whom were three juveniles, were placed under arrest and transported to the Border Patrol Station at Calexico for further investigation.